Introducing, Miss Poppy Fields!

[Poppy Fields]

While I was analyzing pinup art a while ago and trying to concoct my version of the genre, I did a lot of searching for reference material. I came across "Cartooning the Head and Figure" on amazon, which has the "Look Inside" feature. While the material didn't seem to address my needs and interests, the back cover had a progression diagram for drawing a 40's-ish style pinup gal. It reminded me a lot of Bill Presing's figures which is a very good thing!

So I sat down and worked and reworked my own version of her, eventually coming up with a profile that I really liked. When I tried to rotate her to get a front, back and 3/4 though, it all fell to pieces. While she was cute enough, she had no character of her own; she was just flat and lifeless. Well, crap.

When I started examining the character of Poppy Fields, the inspiration started flowing again. I had all these ideas for costumes and attitudes and I really wanted to get them down before they slipped out of my febrile clutches (or drove me mad). Knowing that Poppy the character is from the late 20's-early 30's, I went looking for flapper style reference poses. Spent an entire day searching through my archives and my internet go-to places and then... I found it. A drawing by Shane Glines that just *clicked*.

The attitude was there, the anatomy was almost spot-on to my earlier drawing and she was even a flapper! But this drawing had a freedom and disregard for anatomical boundaries that my stiff little figure lacked. I quickly did a trial copy sketch to see if my hand agreed with how I felt about the potential in the Glines girl. And then I did another. And another. And another and another!
Without references!
And I was drawing the same girl over and over, without having to trace to get her proportions and features the same each time. It felt incredible. I was high for days.

What's great about the work I do is that it allows me to multi-task quite effectively. While I've been very busy (didn't forget my password ha ha!), I've been able to keep drawing in between so that I don't lose this particular wave. And what's even better about being creative is that it feeds itself: the more you use it, the more you get. I've done multiple pages of sketches, starting with basic body and then adding costume ideas on top, incorporating the dominant distinguishing characteristics of Poppy Fields. There are still a few more to go, and I thought the wave had pretty much crested, but last night I had a look at the myvintagevogue 20's & 30's photoset and I can see I have a lot more work to do!. Oh darn ;)

Now I just have to decide what to do with her!

A few samples:

[Wink Holliday]

Bravo! Her personality is coming through, especially with a cane and a cigarette holder.